Hot Pursuit

21

Stone and Pat got into the rear seat of the Bentley, and Fred drove them to Stone’s house. He asked Fred to take her luggage upstairs.

“Which room?” Fred whispered to Stone.

“Mine,” Stone whispered back. “Come on down to my office and tell me about your idea,” he said to Pat.

Joan got them some coffee.

“Have you ever flown your airplane across the Atlantic?” Pat asked.

“Nope, but I’ve always wanted to. There’s an awful lot of prep to do, I understand — a lot of paperwork.”

“A client of mine who owns a string of Jaguar dealerships in Britain, Europe, and the States has bought himself a CitationJet4, and he wants it flown to Wichita, where he’s going to do his training. Why don’t you and I fly your airplane over there? Paperwork is what I do, and I can do it fast. I’ve already had a dozen crossings on the northern route, doing ferry flights, so I can show you the ropes. We’ll land in Coventry, which is where both Jaguar and my client live. He’s offered me the loan of a car, if I want to do some touring, and I’ve never had any time to myself in England — I was always in and out.”

“That sounds very inviting,” Stone said. “But what about your business?”

“The business is nascent. I can handle what I’ve got on the phone, and your airplane has a satphone. Also, I can’t work out of my new office until this thing with Kevin is settled.”

“Well, you know the northern route, and I know England. I hitchhiked around the island when I was a student, and I saw a lot of very nice country hotels that I couldn’t afford to stay in. When do we go?”

“I can get the paperwork in hand by next Monday. How’s that?”

Stone turned to his computer and checked the next couple of weeks. “Nothing here that can’t be handled by phone or just later. You’re on, but why do we have to do the northern route?”

“Your airplane has a thirteen-hundred-mile range, and that’s not enough to go nonstop. We’ll fly up to Goose Bay, in Labrador, then to Greenland, where we’ll refuel, then to Reykjavik, Iceland. If we luck into a big tailwind, we might do Goose Bay — Reykjavik nonstop. We can do an overnight there, or we can press on to England. It’ll be about ten hours overall, but we can take turns flying and napping.”

“You’ve already got an office right down the hall,” Stone said. “All my manuals and paperwork are in my flight bag right over there.” He pointed. “So get to work.”

She finished her coffee and did just that.

Stone was working on his mail when Dino called. “Word has reached me that yet another of your friends is in trouble,” he said. “Is Pat all right?”

“She is. I got her out of the house, and first of the week, I’m getting her out of the country.”

“Where are you headed?”

“To England, and in my airplane.”

“Your airplane would get halfway there, then splash!”

“We’re going the northern route: Canada, Greenland, Iceland.”

“Haven’t you heard it’s winter?”

“The airplane has a heater. You want to come along?”

“Is Pat doing the flying?”

“We’re sharing. She’s flying a delivery back from England, I’ll make the trip back alone.”

“I’ve got some business in London — maybe I’ll fly back with you.”

“I could use the company.”

“How long will it take us, and where do we leave from?”

“A day or two, weather permitting. We’ll leave from Coventry.”

“I’m speaking in Birmingham next Wednesday, so that works for me.”

“Can Viv come?”

“I’ll ask and get back to you.” Dino hung up.

Late in the afternoon, Stone had a call from Detective Robert Miller.

“Just an update,” Miller said. “Kevin Keyes checked out of his hotel early this morning and turned in his rental car. He’s in the wind.”

“That’s bad news,” Stone said. “Did you check the airlines?”

“Yes — no reservation. We’ve alerted the Wichita police, in case he goes home, but it’s a long bus ride.”

“He’s a pilot who does charters, remember? He could have flown out of Teterboro or White Plains, flying a charter or doing a delivery of an airplane. Check the FAA for any flight plans he might have filed.”

“That’s a good tip. Thanks.” Miller hung up.

Stone thought it just as well that he and Pat were getting out of town.

Pat came into his office, and he told her about the call.

“God,” she said, “Kevin could be anywhere.”

“I told Miller to check for any filed flight plans.”

“Good idea.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll get him.”

“I hope you’re right,” she said.